The Cost of War
by lily22
Summary: Yugi is unwillingly made a general of an important war, and of the poorest gang of soldiers, at that. To add on to his misfortunes, he's taken captive by the enemy... can that be good?
1. Enemy

The Cost of War  
  
Author's Note: Ahh. another fic. I'm hoping that this one will not suck. This is planned as a long one, but maybe it won't be. I don't know: my writing leads me, not the other way around. ^^  
  
Disclaimer: I own Yugioh. It is 100% mine, and any attempts to steal it will not be tolerated. oh wait, wrong script!  
  
  
  
"General, the army has approached the fortress." The speaker was thin- faced, lean, and just a bit too tall for Yugi's tastes.  
  
Yugi nodded slowly, keeping his distance so that he could keep his eyes on the messenger's face. He knew that if he were to stand right beside him, even his army boots and big hair cut wouldn't change the fact that he was less than half as tall.  
  
"Thank you. How big is the army, and do they have any mages?"  
  
"General, you know that your family has the only mages."  
  
"Yes, so we think. Never mind, then." He noted the exasperated face. "What's the enemy's number?"  
  
"We don't know yet. They've only just approached."  
  
"In that case, please send scouts to the woods in back to search for archers and clear a retreat, for in case we need one. Post our own archers on top of the fence, but tell them to stay low until the signal. Get a cavalcade, no, two ready to charge if need be."  
  
The unusually small general left briskly.  
  
'Why am I here?' Yugi asked himself yet again. 'All that I'm good for is my mage-craft.'  
  
Yugi's army was very poorly trained. Due to the fact that he had the Mutoh bloodline, and with it, the magic that flowed through all Mutoh veins, the government was obligated to grant him an army. However, he had received the most poorly trained army available, and had been posted in the worst position possible: the borderline between his own country, and the enemy.  
  
Since the young teen, for he was still but a teen, had no taste for war, and even less wishes to be a general of his own army, he had at first been inclined to disagree. However, none disagree with the government and survive to tell the tale. With no military experience of his own, the only things that would help Yugi in his experience as a general were his magic, and the strategies of war that his grandpa had taught him long ago.  
  
Carefully calling upon a touch of magic to conceal himself, Yugi crept up to the fence, careful not to startle the archers already posted here. He had to admit to himself that his army was quick about following orders.  
  
Once he made it to the top of the fence, he peeked out from the parapet. The sight took his breath away. The army had about ten times more men than his own, each dressed in crisp blue and silver uniform. The all stood in formation, ready to attack if Yugi's men made a move, and ready to attack anyways, if they didn't.  
  
The leader was easily distinguishable among the sea of blue and silver: he wore all black, and rode a black stallion, whereas all the others were on foot. For a moment, the leader's gaze seemed to lock with Yugi's own, and said teen shuddered. Could the leader also possess magic?  
  
But then, the gaze shifted, and the leader moved down the line of men, giving instructions and issuing orders. Yugi shook his head and did what he came up here to do.  
  
Staring out at the enemy, Yugi tried to detect any signs of an illusion: a banner that didn't shift with the breeze, a horseman riding through a tree, but no, it seemed that the huge army was really there.  
  
Yugi bit his lip, and searched for other forms of magic. There seemed to be no weather-magic at work, since the day was clear. There was no disturbance among the men, signifying the lack of invisibility-magic. If there had been fire-magic, they probably would have already used it... Everywhere Yugi turned, there was either no magic, or the magic was very cleverly concealed.  
  
Shrugging, Yugi climbed back down from the fence.  
  
The opposing leader watched his every move.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes Once More: Okay, so there's not much plot in this one. Sorry! I do want to know: who, out in the audience, likes yaoi? I didn't want to make this a Yami/Yugi, but if people want a yaoi, I'll make it a Joey/Yugi. It's my new obsession these days. If not, it'll just be a non- romantic story, except maybe in the sidelines. Please tell me what you think! 


	2. Preparations

Chapter 2: Preparations  
  
Author's Notes: Hmm... *tallies up votes*  
  
-One non-yaoi  
  
-Two Yami/Yugi  
  
-Two Joey/Yugi  
  
-And one yaoi of any sort...  
  
And then, there're always my votes, two for non-yaoi and one for Joey/Yugi. I actually didn't really want a yaoi too much, but if a lot of people wanted it, I could deal. Now, however, I have a problem. The non-yaoi and Yami/Yugi go down basically the same path, but the Joey/Yugi goes in a whole other direction.  
  
Well, I'll go down the non-yaoi and Yami/Yugi direction, and hope for the best. Cross your fingers, and please keep telling me what you think!  
  
  
  
When Yugi reached solid ground again, he slid off his invisibility. At once several men swarmed up to him.  
  
"General! The enemy is approaching."  
  
"General, the scouts..."  
  
"General, three..."  
  
"General, general, general..."  
  
"STOP!" Yugi yelled, feeling a massive headache coming on. "Please state your messages, one at a time."  
  
The arms-master stepped forward. "General, since last count, we've lost or broken seventy-three arrows. If this keeps up, the archers won't have anything to shoot. " Yugi nodded, thinking carefully on the problem. "Take the woodworkers off the extra barracks: we'll worry about surviving this battle first, then we'll worry about tomorrow, well, tomorrow. Put some archers on arrow- making, too. They should know what kind of arrows work the best."  
  
The instant the arms-master left, three more men stepped up to take his place. Even so, it was a woman who spoke. "General, the infirmary can't hold many more people, and I think we'll need to."  
  
"Move the least wounded to the barracks. That'll do for now, until we sort out our current predicament." Yugi paused. "Can I hear news of the enemy?"  
  
"General, the enemy approaches. A rough count shows about half a thousand men, maybe more." Yugi bit his lip, but the bad news continued. "They seem to be very experienced. All the scouts that we've sent have been picked off; obviously, there's no retreat for us that way."  
  
"How long until they get here?"  
  
The man who had spoken seemed to think for a moment. "I'd say about an hour."  
  
Yugi nodded. "Is there any other urgent news? If not, I must think for a while."  
  
A few moments later, only one remained. "Got time for me, *general*?" The blond mockingly put emphasis on the word "general".  
  
Relaxing, Yugi giggled. "I _always_ have time for you, Jou." Yugi reached up to give him a hug. (No, not Jou/Yugi. It's friendly, I swear!)  
  
(Quick author's note: it's really annoying when I'm working on one certain fic, but before I can finish it, I switch to a different one! I do a whole bunch of work, but it never shows. *growls*)  
  
"Did you see the way they all swarmed up to you?" Jou chuckled and did an impression of the woman who'd spoken about the infirmary.  
  
Yugi laughed as well, then stopped abruptly. "That wasn't funny." The look on his face sent Jou into more laughter, until he realized that his friend was being serious. "What's up, Yugi?"  
  
"Jou, we're in a war here. We're faced with a huge army of _trained_ soldiers, much unlike us." Yugi sighed. "I hate to say this, but I don't think we're going to make it out of this battle alive."  
  
"Isn't that pleasant? I'm gonna feed the worms."  
  
"Jou!" Yugi sighed. "I'm serious."  
  
"Well, I'm not. Whether or not we survive, it's all up to fate. I doubt that there's anything we can do except make the best out of it. Now, cheer up! Let's get ready for battle, k?" Jou headed for the stables to get his mare, Serendipity. (Pun!)  
  
Yugi rolled his eyes, but followed suit.  
  
  
  
"Okay, men! I want all of you to listen up!" Yugi had adopted a loud voice over his time as a general. "The back way is blocked, but if a great number of you escapes that way, at least a couple will get out alive. If not, we can go down fighting." He pointed to the gate before them. "The enemy awaits. So, make your decision now! I won't hold it against any of you if you flee, even if I'm alive to do so by the time the sun sets tonight."  
  
A few people glanced towards the back, but not one person left.  
  
Yugi smiled grimly. "I want all men with horses to line up behind me in your assigned formation! Eight rows of ten! All foot soldiers behind them, in standard rows! Archers on the fence, shoot when necessary! Two archers prepare to open the gates, and then return to position once we've left! I want you all lined up within the next fifteen minutes."  
  
Yugi stepped away from the men. "Well, Jou." He sucked in a deep breath. "This is it." He smiled tightly, then frowned. "Jou, I'm scared."  
  
Jou patted Yugi on the back. "Don't worry about it. You'll be fine!"  
  
"No, no I won't! I don't belong here! I'll probably get all these men killed... I have no interest for war, you know that!" Yugi gave Jou a frightened look, unable to keep up his mask. Where a brave, if short, general had stood moments before, Yugi was suddenly reduced to the young teenager he was.  
  
"Yugi... You were doing a great job! The men listen to you. Do you think they would without a reason?"  
  
"Yes, they would. If they thought I was someone I'm not." His eyes closed. "Oh, Jou, they think I'm some great military leader, just because they've never been in the army before, either. If they had, they'd realize that half the things that we're doing are pulling them down." He winced at the incident with a smaller battle only days ago.  
  
"C'mon, Yugi. I told you before: don't worry about it. Let come what will."  
  
Yugi let out a sigh. "You're right, Jou. What'll happen will happen. So, let's go!"  
  
  
  
The mare, Harmony, shifted slightly. Yugi gently patted her nose, whispering soothing sounds into her ear. Harmony, like Yugi himself, didn't appreciate war. The young general gave her an extra apple before swinging up on her back and riding to the gate.  
  
His men were mostly already assembled, though a few were still racing to get there. Yugi took his place at the head of his army, getting a shock when Serendipity came to a stop beside him.  
  
Upon seeing his questioning look, Jou grinned. "I couldn't letcha do this alone: would kind of friend would I be?"  
  
Yugi opened his mouth to send Jou off, but then thought better of it. "Okay, men, let's move out!" 


	3. Battle

Chapter 3: Battle  
  
Author's Notes: Yes, very slow updates. School is really taking its toll on me... gomen nasai, minna-san!  
  
Yugioh is, duh, not mine.  
  
And, yes, it takes a lot of effort to use the magic for healing, among other things.  
  
  
  
General Yami of the black military order, commander in chief of the fifth army of his imperial majesty, Donovan the II, and Kali, his queen, shifted slightly in his saddle. The arrow aimed towards him blew past.  
  
"Clovis," He eyed the soldier coolly. "You need to work on your aim. It's not everyday your general offers his chest as a free target."  
  
"Sorry, general."  
  
"And speed, too." He added. "Everybody! Work on your speed in the future! For now, though, let's move on!"  
  
He nodded curtly and urged his ebony stallion into a trot.  
  
As a speck on the horizon, the enemy's fort grew larger with each passing second. He squinted. Something seemed strange about it. Calling upon a minimal amount of magic, he directed his gaze towards the top. There was something strange about the small figure moving about.  
  
'Could he possibly have magic?' He questioned, but shrugged it off. It was fact that apart from himself, and a handful of others who stayed on his side of the border, there were no mages.  
  
Soon, the others without magic to aid their vision began to see the fort more clearly. A few minutes passed in silence, but for the pounding of feet on the ground, before the first soldier broke into chortles.  
  
Many followed, until the army was at a standstill. Yami turned and glared. The others all stopped, fearful for their lives. "What's so funny?" His voice was commanding, keeping listeners attentive in a way the King couldn't.  
  
There was no response.  
  
The seconds crawled by in agonizing slowness, every soldier holding his breath. Finally, Yami laughed, pearly teeth flashing. "Move on, men!" He shouted simply, and continued.  
  
The men stared at him for a moment, before doing as commanded.  
  
  
  
"Look, men. The fort is small. There's no room for many soldiers. This will be an easy battle. If you do it well, we'll be home by nightfall." Yami cast his gaze over the entire lot of foot soldiers, giving the impression that he was looking at each man individually, while really doing no such thing.  
  
"We will charge the fort on my command-" He was cut off by the sound of horses approaching. Spinning around in his saddle, he caught a glimpse of something white charging past him. "HOLD FORMATION!" He roared, knowing that his shocked men would probably pack off anyways. He was shocked, himself. Many of the enemy's number was on horseback, while his own troops were on foot. Well, except for he himself, of course.  
  
He righted himself, and searched for the white _thing_ that he'd seen. Whatever it was, it had that sense of strangeness that he'd sensed before.  
  
The white thing was a horse. Yami couldn't help but roll his eyes... until he saw the rider. Apart from the height difference, the boy could've been Yami's twin, at least, from the back of his head. "Then again, how many men with that kind of hair color do you see?" Yami muttered to himself, slipping out of the swarm of men so he could keep an eye on that boy.  
  
  
  
Yugi was frantic. He had never seen such an immense army, or such a well- trained one. He ducked a blade, and shouted a warning to the horseman beside him. Unable to move quickly enough, the horseman soon had no head.  
  
Swallowing, and fighting back the tears-he'd known that man personally-he moved to the fringes, trying to get away from all the death. A man collapsed beside him; it was impossible to tell which side he was on, his uniforme was so covered with blood.  
  
Someone patted him on the back. When Yugi shot him a look consisting of a glare and a plea, Jou shook his head. "You've seen death before. C'mon, you'll feel better if you stay nearer to the edges." He whispered, before being pulled back into the tide of fighting men.  
  
After witnessing several more deaths, Yugi managed to pull himself out of the mess of battle. His clothes and skin were covered with rust-colored stains, and his eyes were rather wide.  
  
Out of nowhere, a soldier from the enemy spotted him. Yugi parried the blow to his waist, and pushed back. The soldier seemed shocked, and let go. The sword pierced through his neck.  
  
Moments later, Yugi was wiping the last of the vomit from his mouth, still feeling queasy. He had killed a human being for no better reason than the fact that he had been born on the opposite side of the border.  
  
Looking up, he spotted trouble. "JOU!" He screamed. Looking up, Jou blocked the sword aimed for his shoulder, and struck back. "Jou, look out!" Yugi leapt onto Harmony, urging her into a full gallop. Jou was standing beside Serendipity, reins in one hand, sword in the other. He obviously couldn't spot the archer aiming for him.  
  
An arrow sprouted through his chest.  
  
  
  
Yami watched in a mildly curious manner as the man on the chestnut mare was pulled through the midst of the fighting men, and out of them. The archers that Yami had posted to pick off the men who tried to escape were suddenly attentive.  
  
The sandy-haired man seemed ready to give him mare a rest. He dismounted, and- "JOU!" The boy Yami had been watching suddenly shouted. "Jou" turned around in time to block some idiot swordsman from Yami's side. The archer picked this moment to pick him off. The boy screamed something, and sped towards "Jou". When he reached the limp body, he crouched beside it.  
  
"Fool, that wound was fatal." Yami muttered. He advanced towards the boy, deciding to finish him off while he was occupied. The boy did something with his hands, his back shielding whatever it was from view. The two horses whinnied nervously nearby.  
  
When he was about three yards away, Yami spotted something gold glittering on the boy's shoulder. Yami hissed. "This... this _child_ is the general?" He paused for a moment, considering. He was so inexperienced. He'd put himself at the front of the men while they were charging. He had thrown up when he'd killed somebody. Was it really right to kill this boy?  
  
Then, considering over, Yami continued advancing.  
  
  
  
"Jou, Jou! Speak to me! Are you okay?" Yugi was nearly sobbing in his hysteria. The arrow had gone clear through the chest.  
  
Jou moaned.  
  
"Jou! You're still alive!" He snapped the feathered part of the arrow off, and slid the other half out of the wound. Cupping his hands over the hole, his lips began to move silently. Gradually, the blood-flow stopped, and the muscle began to heal.  
  
Yugi began to feel weak. While his mind screamed the importance of healing Jou while he still held on to his shred of life, his body desperately wanted rest. His decision was made for him when the flat of a blade struck him on the side of his head. The world blanked.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Can you believe it? I actually updated! Well, here we are. Don't forget to tell me if you want Y+Y or not. ^_^ 


	4. Saliva

Chapter 4: Saliva  
  
Author's Notes: Okay. I am in a major predicament. I don't know if I should do Y/Y or not. For one thing, the opposing-captains-falling-in-love thing is so cliché. For another, I don't know how on earth those two will get together in this situation. On the other hand, most of you have asked for Y/Y, and I hate to disappoint you all.  
  
I'm going to stick with NON Y/Y for now, and hope for the best. *Grimace* I just wanted to apologize for asking you all that for no particular reason. How about a different coupling to make up for it? Yugi's out. And of course, Jou is lying on the battlefield right now. Go figure. So, please feel free to suggest a different pairing to me, and I will try to do it, to make up for not doing Y/Y. Gomen, you guys!  
  
Oh yeah... the shrew thing? We learned about that in science.  
  
  
  
He groaned. His temples throbbed and ached, and the left side of his head pounded as if he'd been smashed with a hammer. Which, he remembered as he slowly gained consciousness, he basically had been.  
  
"Where..." He couldn't moan out the rest of his sentence as his lips cracked and bled. He looked wearily at his surroundings. The floor was dusty rock, warmed by his body heat. The walls were also stone, except for the side to his left. That side was composed of metal bars. A prison.  
  
Struggling to remember something, anything to replace the blank void where his memories should have been, he only conjured up images. He could see clearly in his mind's eye people falling dead around him. One man in particular-Blond... tall... with such a bright smile, ("Jounouchi", his tired mind told him) he could remember with detail.  
  
Jou had had an arrow sticking out of his chest, yes, but... something had changed that... small hands removed the arrow, so he saw, and began to close up the wound... How...? Magic. Healing Magic. He remembered now.  
  
"My name is Yugi." He said, or at least, tried to say. The garbled sounds that came out made him grimace. Even so, a feeling of delight welled up within him. 'I know who I am!'  
  
The euphoria faded quickly enough. 'I was the general... and got so many people killed.' The thud of bodies hitting the ground haunted his mind. 'If only it wasn't me... all those people would be alive now.' The guilt pressed in on him. 'Why am I still alive?'  
  
His thoughts were suddenly drawn back to Jou. Is he still alive? 'No.' A voice instantly told him. The arrow... the blood... the gaping wound... they all added up to one thing: Jou's death.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jou..." He whispered, finding he could speak semi-clearly. "I really tried... But I wasn't quick enough."  
  
As the sorrow and guilt overwhelmed him, he let the tears loose.  
  
  
  
When he was done crying, Yugi felt even more parched than before. He stared into the darkness behind his bars, and was rewarded with the sight of a... a mouse, or some other rodent like one.  
  
It crept across the floor, toenails making clicking sounds with each step. A few steps later, it paused. Swiveling its head, it _glared_ at Yugi. Then, it continued on its way.  
  
A snake, harmless garter, Yugi identified, slithered into Yugi's vision. The rodent seemed delighted, though the snake was more than four times as long as the poor thing. 'Why isn't it running away?'  
  
The snake flicked its tongue, pink against the darkness of the floor. It slithered closer to the rodent. With a powerful lunge, the rodent was suddenly attached to the snake, a few centimeters below the head. Its teeth sank deep into the green flesh, unwilling to let go.  
  
At first, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the snake began to writhe. It flailed restlessly, obviously in pain. And then, it stopped. The rodent happily dragged its catch away.  
  
"Lovely, isn't it?" Yugi nearly jumped, except that he was too weak to move. Instead, he settled for turning his head towards the source of the voice. "It's no use. I'm standing in the shadows where you can't see me."  
  
Unable to find the source, Yugi found himself describing the voice. It was low and seemed to hold a smirk, an I'm-better-than-you-are tone. Yugi frowned. A voice like that could only belong to someone in authority. Besides that, Yugi knew nothing about his addresser. He kept silent.  
  
"It's a short-tailed shrew." The Voice remarked. "It's a very unique animal. You see that snake? It's not dead. Oh, no. The short-tailed shrew possesses a special kind of saliva... neuro-toxic saliva, to be exact. It puts all the nerves into excruciating pain, so much that the victim cannot move a muscle. It's the best way to conserve food, you know, to keep it alive." He said this all in a casual tone, as if discussing the best way to weave a basket.  
  
Yugi couldn't hold back a shudder as he imagined himself in "excruciating pain," sitting in a shrew's refrigerator.  
  
This earned him a chuckle. Footsteps announced the person's exit (or another's entrance), and Yugi finally allowed himself to relax. That is, he relaxed, until the voices drifted in.  
  
"What were you doing in there?"  
  
"...Giving him a science lesson." This was the voice from earlier.  
  
"Giving him a... what?"  
  
There was a chuckle. "I was just telling him about the shrews that live nearby.  
  
"You were trying to scare him, weren't you?"  
  
"Oh... I see somebody has a soft spot."  
  
"Quiet, fool! He's just a boy!"  
  
Strangely, the voice did fall silent. A few moments passed, and Yugi thought that maybe they had left. And then, "Listen, I don't care what you say. You weren't supposed to leave any survivors, yet you brought the general, THE FREAKIN' GENERAL - back alive! What's more, you brought his horse back. What were you thinking?" The voice had gone deadly and cold, while Yugi allowed the ghost of a smile to play at his lips. 'Harmony's still alive. At least they spared her.'  
  
"I've never seen a finer horse." The second voice said quietly. "She's a fine one, and I don't see why we should have to leave her." He paused.  
  
"And the general?" The voice prompted.  
  
"The boy is MY BUSINESS! You just..." The second voice seemed to not have anything to say... out of fury?  
  
"Mind my own?" The first voice was smooth and calm. "As you wish, *sir*." There was the sound of a door shutting, and more footsteps.  
  
"Awake, are you?" The second voice was closer than before, a bit too close for comfort. The lights snapped on, and Yugi found himself gasping.  
  
The man before him was nearly Yugi's double... Spiky hair, blond bangs... well, there were a few differences, Yugi corrected himself. For one, the eye shape and color was different, and for another, Yugi was sitting in a prison cell, too weak to move, while the other was standing before him, holding himself like a king.  
  
  
  
Yami enjoyed the boy's surprise, drinking it in like fine wine. Though he was trying to protect the boy, no law dictated that he had to forfeit the joy of being feared.  
  
"Who are you...? And why do you look like me?"  
  
Yami laughed, then watched for the boy's reaction. There was none, since he had already looked scared to death before the laugh. "Actually, I'd have to say that you look like me."  
  
  
  
"Oh." Asking those two questions seemed to set off a whole river of them in Yugi's mind, but he didn't dare ask them.  
  
If they get a hold of you, never tell them anything about our side. You can tell them your name; you can tell them your rank; you can tell them what you had for dinner last Thanksgiving; but whatever you do, never tell them anything that would help them with their attack against our side. He could remember his grandfather telling him those words, warning him of this very situation. And so, Yugi tried not to speak.  
  
It was hard, though.  
  
With every passing second, a new question seemed to race through Yugi's mind, converging with all the other questions and swirling around until his head threatened to explode. He clenched his jaws shut, and watched.  
  
  
  
Yami waited, but for some reason, the boy didn't speak up. "So, what's your name?" He squatted down, to give the appearance of semi-friendliness.  
  
Yugi blinked, seeming to think, or maybe recite something in his head. "Yugi." He finally muttered, voice soft.  
  
"Yugi." Yami repeated, playing with the sound in his mind. 'Yugi, Yugi, Yugi...'  
  
He waited for this 'Yugi' to speak, but there was only silence. "Well, Yugi, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Fine. And yourself?" He winced a bit, as if he had let something slip unintentionally. Yami ignored it.  
  
"Well, thanks." Yami waited again, but still, Yugi kept quiet. He seemed to be straining against something, but apart from that, there was only silence. "I guess I'll get going now. Let me know if you need something, okay?" He wasn't aware of how stupid he sounded. After all, how could Yugi let him know while he was in prison?  
  
The instant Yami left, Yugi collapsed onto the cold, hard floor. 


End file.
